TTM Stats
- Sent: 2/1/2018 | Received: 9/14/2018 | 223 Days
- ’16 Topps
- Address: Los Angeles Angels Spring Training
The Story of the Autograph
Rene Rivera is a catcher currently playing for the Atlanta Braves. He’s been in the league since 2004 and has jumped around a whole lot. He started out with the Mariners for three years, his most significant time with any team, and since then hasn’t spent more than two years with a team. He came back into the league in 2011 with the Twins and then spent time with the Padres, Rays, Mets, Cubs, and Angels.
Rivera was drafted in the second round of the 2001 MLB Draft by the Mariners as a 17-year old. He made his major league debut on September 22, 2004. Those first few years were spent back and forth to the minors and not too much opportunity in the majors. After leaving Seattle as a free agent he bounced around the minors with the Dodgers, Mets, and Yankees, but also with an independent minor league team. The Twins gave him another opportunity in the majors in 2011, but ultimately went back to the minors the next year.
Time with the Padres and Rays really gave him his first good opportunity in the league. He played 103 and 110 games respectively for those teams which are by far the most he’s ever played in a season. Then the Mets gave him an opportunity in 2016 and he stuck with them in the 2017 season before being traded to the Cubs. This year he started out with the Angels and after being waived has ended up with the Braves and made their postseason roster.
Rene is your typical defense first, light-hitting catcher. His lifetime average is just .220. He has 40 career homers with his high being 11 in that 2014 season. He’s never had more than 44 RBI in a season with that also coming in 2014 which might be the best year of his career.
The Score on Rene Rivera – 8.0
I like Rene’s big signature with those huge initials. I’ll be honest with you though, there is a lot of Mets bias in my score. Autographs really come out great on these 2016 cards. I was actually really trying to feel one of these the other day and I wonder if Topps somehow changed how they treat the cards in recent years. It seems there is less smudging and the marker really sticks well to the cards.
Thanks Mr. Rivera! I’m giving this one an 8.
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Information gathered using Wikipedia and Baseball Reference.